Category Archives: News & Reviews

June 13, 2016 · 12:38 pm

Bishop Mary Visits Jail

Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves and Deacon Robert Seifert spent the afternoon at Elmwood Jail yesterday with the Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church jail ministry team, lead by the Reverend Peggy Bryan. In addition to the St. Andrew’s volunteers, Elmwood Chaplain Jennifer Bales went with us yesterday to two dorms. The first was a minimum security area holding about fifty inmates where St. Andrew’s offers Christian worship service every Sunday afternoon. The second area was a medium security dorm where I teach a Education for Ministry (EfM) seminar every Wednesday night. EfM is a University of the South – School of Theology extension program.

In thanks for her support – both financially in paying for half the cost of their EfM books and tuition, and spiritually with her prayers – the inmates signed a printout of our group-written “Collect for Week 14” as a gift for Bishop Mary. “Collect” is another word for prayer. We wrote this collect as part of our 1 June theological reflection exercise in class. The text is:

Collect for Week 14

Dear God, omnipotent in heaven, creator, Love, and perfect.

You watch over the oppressed, create people in perfection, never leave us alone, bring joy, and protect your creation.

We pray that you give us freedom, protection, wisdom, and guidance. Increase our faith, give us knowledge to know you better.
So that we are in heaven with you.

We praise your Holy Name. We keep our eyes on the prize: getting into heaven and gaining eternal life.

Amen.

My goal in asking Bishop Mary to visit was that the inmates would know that whether they are released soon or spend the rest of their lives in prison, they are valued human beings and part of a faith community who are praying for them. Many if not most of the Elmwood inmates are recovering (or not) from substance abuse, or are mentally ill. “Of the 3,600 inmates at the Main Jail and Elmwood in Milpitas, 43 percent suffer from a mental illness” officials reported in September 2015. Many of the 120 recommendations by the Blue Ribbon Commission for improved jail operations are with regard to Mental Health services. Even for the healthy, jail is a depressing place. Knowing that they are important to someone is a step forward.

If you are interested in volunteering to visit jail in Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley), California, please contact the Correctional Institutions Chaplaincy (CIC).

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Tagged as Education for Ministry, Episcopal church, Jail, Silicon Valley, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church

June 8, 2016 · 5:15 pm

Willow Glen City Council Election, June 2016

While the eyes of America and the world were on the contest for the US Presidency, our Willow Glen neighborhood in San Jose was locked in a passionate political race of its own. Our City Council seat will be opened up by term limits, so eight candidates ran for District 6 (Willow Glen) in yesterday’s election. In November 2016, there will be a run off between the two top-vote-earners, both of the women in the race: Helen K. Chapman (who earned 19.82%, with 3,247 votes) and Devora “Dev” Joan Davis (who earned 20.88%, with 3,421 votes). Four other districts held City Council elections yesterday but District 6 gathered the most candidates and the most votes (16,381 counted, with 52 of 52 precincts reporting). These numbers are based on 70% of the Santa Clara County ballots counted.

I did not see even one sign out in Willow Glen yards for any presidential or senatorial or Assembly candidate (US or California) but all eight candidates in our San Jose City Council District 6 race generated much signage. The most creative effort I saw was from candidate Reuben Navarro (or one of his supporters) who wrapped his car in political advertising (see photo below).

The Road Diet controversy was much discussed by the candidates and by Willow Glen. Chapman’s statement on the Road Diet says that a full review is needed. Davis does not give a statement about the Road Diet on her website but on 31 March 2016 told the press she was waiting to see its impact. Our incumbent City Councilman for District 6, Pierluigi Oliverio, proposed the Road Diet project in 2014 and it has probably been the most debated effort of his political career so far. In yesterday’s election, Oliverio unsuccessfully ran for US Congress, earning just over 4% of the votes in the current count.

I understand from the San Jose Department of Transportation (SJ-DOT) that a full analysis of Road Diet crash and safety data will be made available by the end of June 2016, updating the most-recent report now posted on their website (dated 1 June 2015). The SJ-DOT reported in a public meeting on 18 June 2015 that the Purpose of the Lincoln Avenue Road Diet is to:

Improve safety for all users
Create a calmer traffic environment
Enhance travel for people walking and biking

Observation indicates that the Road Diet has failed in all three of its goals. I am looking forward to seeing the data and analysis from SJ-DOT – and to hearing the two remaining City Council candidates address this vexatious local issue.

Click here to see the entire Willow Glen Road Diet Series.

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Tagged as Road Diet, San Jose, Willow Glen

June 6, 2016 · 12:13 pm

Celebrating Sir John Falstaff

Last weekend, our Shakespeare reading group celebrated the 90th birthday of our senior member: John Watson-Williams. We are reading Shakespeare’s “Henriad” tetralogy: Richard II, Henry IV-i, Henry IV-ii, and Henry V. John W-W and I usually compete for who is assigned the lead role. Our 90th Birthday present to John W-W was that he gets to read the role of Sir John Falstaff every time.

Our group meets every two months and watches Shakespeare films in between. We are currently watching The Hollow Crown series – and are very excited that The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses comes out in DVD next month!

The Henriad includes some of Shakespeare’s greatest roles. The four plays are excellent individually and as a set. Part of the particular charm of Henry IV, Part i is its balance of excellent roles: Falstaff has 616 lines, Prince Hal has 551 lines, and Henry Percy “Hotspur” has 562 lines. John W-W, Melita Thorpe and I had a wonderful time sparring through the play!

I have been the Mentor for this Shakespeare reading group since we started in 2012, providing background reading and film homework and assigning roles at the start of each party. Melita and I sometimes coach readers but we are blessed in having many experienced voices from whom to select. Role assignments are made easy by the line analysis prepared in advance by the Rev. Stephenie Cooper. Our primary difficulty is that we do not all use the same Shakespeare editions, so sometimes there is confusion as to line assignment. For this reading, an extra challenge was offered by the Goodyear Blimp which was circling noisily overhead while we read in Melita’s garden. In August, we take on the least popular play in the Henriad: Henry IV Part ii. My husband John and I are hosting.

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Tagged as John, San Jose, Shakespeare, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, technical women

May 31, 2016 · 12:17 pm

Sharing Space

Current news about Bathroom Bills and silly videos like “Sitting in Bathrooms with Trans People Ep. 1” reminded me of how the Silicon Valley company where I worked decades ago managed the bathroom question.

Our company loved to dress up for Halloween. One year, Angel*, a very tall Hardware Diagnostics staff member came to work on Halloween dressed as a woman. Up until then, we had thought of Angel as a man, so when he loomed over all of us wearing platform shoes and a dress, it was considered a very good costume. The next day and after that, Angel continued to dress as a woman. For most of us, this was our first experience with a Transgender person and there was initial confusion; however, we had work to do and most of us ignored Angel’s transition as being none of our business.

Then, we noticed Angel using the staff break area sink for tooth brushing. When I asked why not brush in the bathroom, Angel said that the men in our building objected to sharing the Men’s Rooms and had forbidden her access. Angel said she waited until she got home to use the toilet but that she wanted to brush her teeth after meals.

The next week, the women staff (Engineers, Managers, Support, and Administration) went to lunch together to discuss what to do. A few days later, several of the women met with Angel and offered her use of the Women’s Rooms. Angel agreed. The only real change in behavior was after that, the women used bathroom stalls for privacy when changing clothes. The men continued to be rude to Angel but at least she had a place where she could brush her teeth and use the toilet at work.

*name changed

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Tagged as Geeks, Silicon Valley, Sun Microsystems, technical women

May 27, 2016 · 11:06 am

Hillary Clinton in San Jose

Hillary Clinton spoke in downtown San Jose, California, yesterday. My husband John Plocher was able to go but I was stuck at the Superior Court – Hall of Justice for Jury Duty (the lawyers settled after an hour – so I was not even called out of the waiting room – sigh).

Secretary Clinton took quite a while to arrive on the stage but the audience of about a thousand got to hear from San Jose Vice Mayor Rose Herrera, City Councilwoman Magdalena Carrasco, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, California State Assemblyman Evan Low, and California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom before she spoke.

John took many pictures and recorded videos so that I could hear her impressive talk. Every time I hear her, I am more certain that Hillary Clinton is our best candidate for US President. Her deep experience, insight, intelligence and excellent executive leadership skills are remarkable – especially in contrast to her political competition.

In yesterday’s crowd, a heckler stood near John and kept shouting insults so that no one else could hear. Instead of violence (as the news has increasingly reported of the Bernie Sanders campaign and also of the Donald Trump campaign), attendees at the Hillary Clinton rally started chanting “Hillary, Hillary, Hillary” every time the heckler spoke until he finally shut up.

San Jose calls itself The Capital of the Silicon Valley and is the 10th largest city in the USA – bigger than San Francisco but somehow always seeming smaller and less sophisticated. Secretary Clinton yesterday called San Jose “a city that is all about the future” of the economy and our society. San Francisco and San Jose are about fifty miles apart, connected by two of the ten worst traffic areas in the USA. I was glad that Secretary Clinton came to visit us in San Jose and am so sorry I could not see her in person. On 8 July 2011, I got to hear her presentation to the inaugural group of TechWomen in Washington DC, but that is the closest I have come so far!

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Tagged as John, San Francisco, San Jose, Silicon Valley, TechWomen

May 25, 2016 · 1:12 pm

Goodbye old pepper

Our neighborhood sadly said goodbye to what was probably its oldest tree this month. Despite regular arborist care, the California Pepper split in half on 30 March. It had lived 81 years (1935-2016), and measured at least 162 inches in circumference and 51.59 inches in diameter. When it fell, my son Paul said that the light into his room got noticeably brighter. The old pepper was wet enough inside to be home to a Aneides lugubris, the Arboreal salamander, a species of climbing salamander native to California. The cut wood pieces were pink-orange and were quickly picked up by local wood workers.

Neighbors Gary and Linda hired more arborists to try to save what was left but an ultrasound test said that the remaining trunk could not survive and might fall on their house. This month, after four honey bee hives (and their honey) were carefully relocated, the rest of the tree came down and was replaced by a hopeful new Autumn Blaze Maple tree.

September 2014 – Thanks to Google Maps!

March 2016

May 2016

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Tagged as garden, San Jose, Willow Glen

May 19, 2016 · 2:57 pm

Willow Glen Road Diet Failure

Our family has lived in Willow Glen for almost twenty years. It is a comfortable and neighborly area of San Jose, California with large gardens, good restaurants and shops, and charming architecture. Lincoln Avenue – the neighborhood’s downtown – is part of what makes Willow Glen a “San Jose Treasure”. Unfortunately, during the last year Lincoln Avenue has been inflicted with a “Road Diet” which has increased traffic and accidents while discouraging customers from shopping and dining in its otherwise-attractive small businesses.

I first wrote about the “Road Diet Controversy in Willow Glen” about a year ago and the situation has not improved. On 21 March 2016, there was a debate among seven of the candidates for the Willow Glen District 6 City Council seat at which the Road Diet was a major topic. Julia Baum of the Mercury News reported on 29 March 2016 reported:

“Candidates answered questions about eminent domain, job creation and the city’s widespread homeless population, but the discussion about the Lincoln Avenue road diet highlighted the evening. Most of the candidates supported permanently keeping Lincoln Avenue to one lane each way and not returning to the original four-lane configuration.”

I do not understand why the failed Road Diet is so popular with Willow Glen’s political leaders (and candidates for political leadership). During this last year, I have spoken regularly with Lincoln Avenue small business owners who are to a person upset at their loss of business due to heavy and dangerous traffic combined with too-little parking. One small business owner told me that in her own observation, Lincoln Avenue accidents have more than tripled this year (eighteen accidents since the five reported by the San Jose Department of Transportation “SJ-DOT” at the 18 June 2015 public hearing). The SJ-DOT web page has posted no more current information since “Lincoln Avenue Road Diet Trial” slides from that public hearing. I have a call into the SJ-DOT office to see if I can get better information.

The SJ-DOT reported on 18 June 2015 that the Purpose of the Lincoln Avenue Road Diet is:

Improve safety for all users
Create a calmer traffic environment
Enhance travel for people walking and biking

As you can see from the photos (taken this week), big trucks routinely park in the Lincoln Avenue middle passing lane to make deliveries, reducing what was a four-lane road in early 2015 to a two-lane road with two bike lanes now. Neighbors have told me that traffic on side streets around Lincoln Avenue (between Willow/Minnesota) is heavier and often dangerously fast – because drivers are trying to get around the traffic jams downtown. I walk down Lincoln Avenue most days and dodging bicycles on the sidewalk is a frequent hazard. I have been told that many cyclists do not want to use the bike lanes because they are too dangerous with all of the traffic.

Considering its stated Purposes, the Road Diet seems to be a complete failure.

Click here to see the entire Willow Glen Road Diet Series.